Shloka 42
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
क्षणेनाहन् स बलवान ये<स्य दृष्टिपथे स्थिता: । तेषां शरीरावयवै: शरीरैश्व विशाम्पते
kṣaṇenāhan sa balavān ye 'sya dṛṣṭi-pathe sthitāḥ | teṣāṃ śarīrāvayavaiḥ śarīraiś ca viśāmpate ||
ഹേ നരാധിപാ! ആ ബലവാൻ ഒരു ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ തന്റെ ദൃഷ്ടിപഥത്തിൽ വന്ന എല്ലാവരെയും വധിച്ചു; അവരുടെ ശരീരങ്ങളും മുറിഞ്ഞ അവയവങ്ങളും ചുറ്റും ചിതറിക്കിടന്നു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral collapse that can occur in war: sheer power, when driven by vengeance and unchecked aggression, turns into indiscriminate killing. It implicitly contrasts brute force with dharmic restraint and accountability.
Sañjaya describes a warrior rapidly killing everyone who appears within his sight, leaving bodies and severed limbs scattered—an image typical of the Sauptika Parva’s depiction of sudden, ruthless slaughter.